LOVEABLE blue-eyed Jake Maloney is all smiles after he was voted top of the tots in the Birmingham Mail Baby of the Year 2006 competition.

LOVEABLE blue-eyed Jake Maloney is all smiles after he was voted top of the tots in the Birmingham Mail Baby of the Year 2006 competition.

His bonny face and baby curls won over the hearts of readers, who went on to pick him out of 2,000 little ones who entered the contest.

Proud mum Michelle Eden said: "Jake's the apple of everyone's eye. I just can't believe he's won. I entered Jake in the competition because I thought it would be nice to see him in the paper. I knew there were thousands of babies taking part and I never expected him to win.

"When he got into the top ten I was so surprised, and then for him to go on to win was fantastic."

The 22-year-old nursery nurse lives with nine-month-old Jake and his dad, 25-year-old binman Brendan, in Windsor Road, Stirchley, where the winner's trophy has taken pride of place on the mantelpiece.

Michelle added: "There's just something about Jake that's so charming. He's always happy and always smiling. Even when he's poorly he still smiles.

"When he was five months old he had to go into hospital with bronchiolitis. He had wires all over him but even then all the nurses fell in love with him because he is so much of a character."

Jake, who was in the 0-9 months category, also won his family a break with Haven & British Holidays and #100 worth of Argos vouchers.

The runners-up in the competition are three-year-old Jade Chatterley, in the 19-36 months category and 13-month-old Maddison Jackson, in the 10-18 months category.